Since tumors can move between treatments, radiation oncologists at Beverly Hills Cancer Center take advantage of image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT) to help better deliver the radiation to the cancer.
IGRT is an advanced imaging process that involves radiation treatments guided by CT or X-ray imaging. These types of specialized X-ray imaging are called Cone beam CTs (CBCTs) or kV matching.
CBCT, or cone beam computed tomography, is a special type of x-ray equipment used to produce advanced imaging, providing three dimensional images of your teeth, soft tissues, nerve pathways and bone in a single scan.
KV (kilo voltage) advanced imaging systems provide digitally reconstructed x-rays. These are studied by your radiologist, who uses them to better direct the radiation therapy you’re undergoing.
During IGRT treatments, radiologists compare images daily, just prior to the treatment. In some cases, doctors will implant a tiny marker in or near the tumor to pinpoint it for IGRT. The advanced imaging from the CBCT and kV allows them to see if the tumor has moved or changed. From there, if the imaging shows it is needed, they can adjust the treatment to more precisely target the radiation to the cancer. This increases the accuracy of very complex treatments.
IGRT and CBCT are used in conjunction with IMRT (Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy). This is a type of cancer treatment that uses advanced computer programs and advanced imaging to calculate and deliver radiation directly to cancer cells from different angles. 3-D conformal treatments, a radiation therapy that shapes the radiation beams to match the shape of the tumor, are also performed. These therapies, done together, allow us to offer our best possible treatment for your case.
At Beverly Hills Cancer Center, we use a combination of advanced imaging methods for treatment planning. The fusion of these images provides our radiologists and doctors with the most complete information available as they plan, modify and continue treatment based on the changes in the cancer.
While none of these methods alone provides all of the geometric and physical information needed for treatment planning, fusion of these images provides the information needed. This is especially helpful for more complex circumstances, such as when it is difficult to detect lymph node involvement or the boundaries of primary tumors where inflammatory changes and metal artifacts are present. The addition of any one of these image datasets to the primary CT dataset provides an advantage in delineating and localizing the target.
With four-dimensional computed tomography (4D CT), Beverly Hills Cancer Center radiation oncologists can determine not just where a tumor is at one time, but also its movement over time.
For example, a concern with the treatment of lung cancer is that many of these tumors move with respiration. To improve the visualization and targeting of moving tumors, we use 4D computed tomography (4DCT) imaging and respiratory gating.
A 4D CT scan is comprised of a large number of individual CT scans obtained at various phases of the respiratory cycle. This approach allows the radiation oncologist to watch the movement of the tumor with respiration. The radiation oncologist uses the 4DCT data to decide whether it is best to deliver treatment only at specific phases of breathing (“gated therapy”) or with the patient freely breathing. This technology allows us to offer among the best results in radiology in Los Angeles, and the world.
Beverly Hill Cancer Center will answer the questions about everything you want to know about your situation: your doctors, your treatment recommendations, your prognosis, as well as the ongoing results of your therapy. With the most advanced imaging technology available, your treatment plan can be continuously updated, allowing our doctors to target cancer better and help you get well again.
To schedule an appointment, please call Beverly Hills Cancer Center in Beverly Hills, California at (877) 320-5131 or Click the link below to access our Online Appointment Request
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